Method of making shoes



July 16, 1935. J. B. HADAWAY METHOD .OF MAKING SHOES Filed Aug. :52, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 30 //v VENTUR; 310W 0.

' mm 0 wal ixm' Y July 16, 1935. J: HADAwAY 2,008,071

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Filed Aug.. 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 16, 1935 PATENT OFFICE METHOD or MAKING snons John B. Hadaway,

Swampscott, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 22, 1034, Serial No. 740,975

13 Claims.

invention relates to shoes and to methods of making shoes and'is illustrated herein with refrence to welt shoes the margins of the outsoles of which lie close to the uppers at the shank portions of the shoes.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved method of producing shoes having close fitting sole margins at their shank portions and to provide improved outsoles adapted for use in such shoes.

To the attainment of these objects and in accordance with one aspect of the invention the material at the shank portion of an outsole is separated into an inner, layer and an outer layerand the outer layer is stretched or bulged outwardly before the outsole is laid on the bottom of a shoe. As herein illustrated, the stretched portion is maintained in its outwardly bulged condition until a sole leveling operation is per-- formed on the shoe so that the width of the shank portion of the sole will not be altered before the sole is leveled against the shoe bottom. After :the outsole is permanently attached to the shoe the sole is subjected-to the leveling operation 26 which forces the sole margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper. The leveling of the sole against the shoe bottom also expands or widens the stretched material of the outer layer of the outsole transversely of the shoe bottom I0 and thereby permits the sole margins to be pressed closely against the shoe upper. The stretched condition of the outer layer of the outsole relatively to the inner layer prevents excessive strains'from being set up in the body portion 5 of the sole during the leveling operation which 7 would tend subsequently to react and pull the margins away from close fitting relation to the upper. Moreover, by causing the material nearer the outer or tread surface of the outsole to expand widthwise as the sole margins are being forced against 'the' shoe upper, the outseam stitches are not subjected to any lateral strains which would tend later to pull the margins away from the upper. The present method, therefore, i not only facilitates pressing the sole margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper but-insures that these margins will remain in such posi-,

tion during the life of the shoe.

In another aspect the invention provides an improved outsole particularly adapted for use in shoes having close fitting sole margins. As illustrated, the cutsole comprises a body portion having an innerlayer or tongue separated from an outer layer longitudinally of the shank portion of the sole, the inner layer being longer than it is wide and being hinged to the body of the outsole at the opposite end portions of one of its longer sides. elongated inner layer or tongue is cut in the material adjacent to the flesh surface of the outsole and is nreferably .5 hinged to the sole along the inner side of such surface. The layer of material overlyingthe tongue and adjacent to the tread surface of the outsole is stretched outwardly or away from the tongue to form a bulge on the outer face of the 10 sole before the latter islaid on a shoe bottom, thereby permitting this outer layer of material to expand or widen transversely of the shoe bottom under the sole leveling pressure so that the laying of the sole margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper at the shank portion of the shoe will be facilitated. To prevent the shank portion of the sole from widening transversely prior to the leveling operation the inner layer or tongue is temporarily secured in position over the bulge by fastening means which may give way under the leveling pressure. By thus permitting the stretched outer layer to expand width-wise of the shoe bottom the sole margins are caused to remain permanently in close fitting relation to the shoe upper without setting up any strainsin the intramarginal material of the sole which would tend subsequently to pull the margins away from the upper.

With the above and other objects and features in view the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of the flesh side of a sole blank having a relatively long innerlayer or tongue out in its shank portion, the outline of the outsole being indicated in broken lines on the blank;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the margins of the sole blank reduced in thickness at the shank portionthereof and the tongue turned up substantially at right angles to the inner surface of the blank;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the blank 0 taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2 and illustrates the die and the lower portion of the plunger which are utilized for stretching the outer material of the outsole;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the manner in which the outer material of the sole is stretched to form a bulge;

Fig. 5 is a sectionalviewshowing the outsole after the outer material has been stretched and i the tongue has been secured in its former position by a piece of tape;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the outsole in the condition shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the outsole being laid on a shoe bottom, the sole laying pad being provided with alongitudinal recess so that no pressure will be applied to the bulge at the shank portion of the sole during the sole laying operation;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the shoe after the outsole has been laid and stitched to the shoe bottom; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view showing a leveling roll depressing the bulge to widen the outer material of the sole while forcing the sole margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper.

In producing close fitting sole margins in shoes, in accordance with the method illustrated herein, there is provided on outsole blank 20 preferably of leather, having a substantially rectangular inner layer or tongue 22 cut in the material adjacent to the flesh side of the shank portion of the blank,

as shown in Fig. 1. This inner layer or tongue 22 is considerably longer than it is wide and is located longitudinally of the intramargiinal portion of the blank. The tongue preferably extends from about the heel breast line of the outsole to the forward end of its shank portion, the outline of the outsole being indicated by the broken line 24 in Figs; 1 and 2. The tongue may be conveniently formed with the aid of a machine such as that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,382,689, granted June 28, 1921, upon an application filed in the name of William C. Stewart,

this machine being also adapted to reduce the opposite lateral margins of the shank portions of sole members, although the tongue may, of course, be out with the aid of other machines or by hand if desired. As illustrated, the inner layer or tongue 22 is completely severed from the body portion 20 of the sole blank at three sides of the tongue but is joined to the blank along its fourth side which extends longitudinally of the sole blank and is preferably adjacent to that edge of the blank which will be located at theinner side of the shoe.-

After the tongue 22 has been cut as described in the flesh side of the shank portion of the sole blank, the opposite lateral margins at this portion of the blankare reduced by bevel cuts: 26, 28 in the usual manner, these cuts, as shown in Fig. 2, intersecting the cuts which form the long sides of the tongue and severing small sections from opposite sides of the outer-or exposed surface of the tongue. The material removed by the bevel cut 26, which is nearer the inner edge of the outsole, forms an opening 30 in the solid material which joins the tongue to the body portion of the sole blank. Consequently, after the shank reducing operation hasbeen performed the inner layer or tongue is joined to the blank only at the opposite end portions of this inner side, these integral portions being indicated in Fig. 2 by the reference numerals 32 and 34 and forming in effect a pair of hinges by which the tongue can be readily turned back from the fiesh surface of the sole to expose the recess or cavity 36 formed therein.

The sole blank 20 is now softened or mulled to render it more flexible and is mounted grain side down on a supporting plate or die 38 provided with a relatively long opening 40. The tongue 22 is turned back from the recess 36, as shown in Fig. 3, to permit a stretching plunger 42, which is somewhat smaller than the opening 40, toengage the thin layer of outer material 31 adjacent to the tread surface of the sole and to stretch this material the required amount, the movement of the plunger 42 being regulated beforehand according to the amount of stretch desired. The die 38 and plunger 42 may be incorporated in any well-known type of sole pressing or conforming machine such, for example, as that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,939,750, granted Dec. 19, 1933, on an application filed in the name of Erastus E. Winkley, or they may, if desired, form a part of a structure built especially to perform the stretching operation. Since the particular apparatus by which this operation is accomplished forms no part of thepresent invention and is not essential to a proper understanding of the'method, only the die and plunger have been shown in the drawings. Fig. 4 shows the plunger 42 stretching the outer material of the sole to forman outward bulge on the tread surface of its shank portion. The shape of the plunger 42 is such that it will enter the recess 36 without contacting with the beveled portions 26, 28 of the blank 20, these beveled portions being supported by the solid portions of the die at each side of the opening 40. As the outer material 31 is forced into the opening in the die, the sides of the plunger will engage the material at the opposite sides of the cavity 36 and prevent the thicker material at the margins of the blank from moving inwardly toward the center of the sole. Consequently, the material 31 near the tread surface of the sole will be stretched without any appreciable narrowing of the sole at its shank portion.

After the material adjacent to the tread or grain surface of the outsole has been stretched in the manner described, the tongue 22 is laid back over the bulged material and is secured against the thicker material adjacent to the outside margin of the sole by a small piece of adhesive tape or similar material 44, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. By returning the tongue to its original position and temporarily securing it to the body portion of the outsole by adhesive tape, the shank portion of the sole is prevented from stretching widthwise during the sole laying and sole attaching operations, it being important at this stage of the process that the shank portion of the sole be maintained at its original width.

The next operation in manufacturing shoes in accordance with the present method comprises laying the outsole on a shoe bottom. Accordingly, the sole blank 20 is located in proper position on the bottom surface of a welt shoe 46 which, as illustrated herein, comprises an upper 50 and welt 52 attached by stitches 54 to the rib of an insole 56, as shown in Fig. 'l, the shoe being assembled in overlasted position on a last 48. The usual shank stiffener '53 is located in the shank portion of the shoe between the opposite insole ribs so that the bottom of the shoe presents a relatively even surface for receiving the outsole. The sole blank 20 is now pressed against the shoe bottom by a solid rubber sole laying pad 60 which, as shown in Fig. '1, is provided at its central portion with a-longitudinal groove or recess 62 of suflicientdepth to prevent the central portion of the pad from engaging the stretched material 31, thereby preventing any pressure from being applied to the stretched material and preserving the bulge at the shank portion of the sole. As stated above, the adhesive tape 44 prevents this portion from stretching widthwise as the sole laying pressure is applied. so that the sole is maintained at its nal width during the sole laying operation.

After the sole blank has been laid on the shoe bottom it is rough-rounded to form the outsole 24 and is channeled to receive the stitches by which it is to be secured to the shoe bottom. The outsole 24 is then stitched to the welt 52 by stitches 64 in the usual manner, as shown in Fig. 8, these stitches, particularly at the shank portion of the shoe, being located at an acute angle to the outer face of the outsole by reason origiof the angle at which the shoe mustbe held while the sole is beingstitched to this'portion of the shoe. It will be noted in Fig. 8 that the welt crease indicated at 66 has been opened up a. considerable amount during the stitching operation so that the exposed'surface of the welt is now spaced some distance from the shoe upper.

The outsole, is next leveled against the shoe bottom by a leveling roll 68 which presses the welt 82 and margins of the sole into close fitting relation to the shoe upper 5.0, as shown in Fig. 9. The shape of the leveling roll 68 ispreferably such that' it will engage both sole margins simultaneously and bend them toward the shoe upper. At the same time the central portion of the roll engages the bulge 31 at the shank portion of the outsole and depresses or flattens this bulge against the shoe bottom. Flattening of the bulge causes the stretched material 31, adjacent to the tread surface of the sole, to widen transversely of the shoe bottom relatively to the tongue 22, thereby providing extra material which facilitates the pressing of the sole margins into close'fitting' relation to the shoe upper. -This widening of the stretched material 3l'also tends to relieve the strains on the sole-attaching stitches 64 by causing these stitches to assume a more nearly up-' right position relatively to the outer surface of the outsole, as shown in Fig. 9. Since the outer layer 31 of the sole was stretched prior to the soleattaching operation, and since the leveling pressure now merely conforms or shapes this material tothe transverse curvature of the shoe bottom, it will be clear that no lateral strains tending to resist or prevent this shaping of the sole will be set up at the intramarginal portion thereof as the sole margins are forced into close fitting relation to the shoe upper. In other words, the leveling roll merely widens the outer layer of the sole relatively to the inner layer adjacent to the flesh side of the sole without any substantial compression of this inner layer or any further stretching of the outer layer.- Inasmuch as no lateral stretching of the sole material takes place during theleveling operation the sole margins will tend to remain permanently in close fitting relation to the upper. As the material of the sole widens or expands transversely under the pressure of the leveling roll 68, the adhesive tape 44 may slip or give way, asshown in Fig. 9, since the tongue 22, being hinged lto the sole at the side opposite the taped side,-may move slightly away from the tape as the outer layer widens transversely of the shoe bottom.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of making shoes having close fitting sole margins which consists in separating a sole into an inner layer and an outer layer, stretching the outer layer, attaching the sole to the bottom of a shoe, and pressing the soleagalnst the shoe bottom, thereby forcing the sole margins into close fitting relation to the x I 3 shoe ,upper and widening the stretched portion of the sole so that said margins will remain permanently in such position. i v

2. That improvement in methods of making shoes having close fitting sole margins which consists in separating the shank portion of a sole into an inner layer and an outer layer, stretching the outer layer without stretching the inner layer, attaching the sole to the bottom of a snoe, and applying pressure to the shoe bottom to force the sole margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper and to widen the stretched portion of the sole transversely of the shoe bottom thereby causing said margins to remain permanently in close fitting relation to the upper.

3. That improvement in methods of making shoes having close fitting sole margins which conslsts in separating a sole into an inner layer and an outer layer, stretching the outer layer bev fore attaching the sole to a shoe without widening the sole, attaching the sole to the bottom of a shoe, and leveling the sole against the shoe bottom to widen the stretched layer transversely of the shoe bottom and simultaneously to force the sole-margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper, the widening of the stretched layer tending to cause said margins to remain permanently in-close fitting relation to the upper.

4. That improvement'in methods of making shoes having close fitting sole margins which consists in separating a sole into an inner layer and an outer layer at the intramarginal portion of the sole, stretching the outer layer by forming a bulge therein, attaching the sole to the bottom of a shoe, and depressing the bulge to widen said outer layer while forcing the sole margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper, the widening of said outer layer facilitating the pressing of'said margins into close fitting relation to said upper.

5. That improvement in methods of making shoes having close fitting sole margins which cons sts in separating the intramarginal material at the shank portion of a sole into an inner layer and an outer layer, stretching said outer layer by forming an outward bulge therein while maintaining the sole at its original width, attaching the sole to a lasted shoe bottom, and thereafter leveling the sole to depress the bulge and widen the outer layer wh le forcing the sole margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper, the widening of said outer layer tending to cause Said margins to remain permanently in such relation to the upper.

6. That improvement in methods of making shoes having close fitting sole margins which consists in separating a sole into an inner layer and an outer' layer at the shank portion thereof, stretching the outer layer relatively to the inner layer to form an outward bulge on the tread side of the sole, laying the sole on the bottom of a shoe without reducing said bulge, permanently attaching the sole to the shoe bottom, and thereafter reducing the bulge to widen the sole transversely of the shoe bottom and thereby facilitate forcing the sole margins into close fitting relation to the upper. a

7. That improvement in methods of making shoes having close fitting sole margins which conthe expanding of the stretched material tending to cause said margins to remain permanently in close fitting relation to the upper.

8. That improvement in methods of making shoes having close fitting sole margins which consists in cutting a tongue lengthwise of the shank portion of the inner surface of an outsole, said tongue being longer than it is wide and being joined to the outsole at one of its longer sides,

tom and thus facilitate pressing the sole margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper, and.

applying pressure to said margins to force them into close fitting relation to the upper.

9. That improvement in methods of making shoes having close fitting sole margins which consists in cutting a tongue longitudinally of the in- X tramarginal portion of an outsole, said tongue being located at the shank portion of the outsole and being joined thereto at one of its longer sides, turning back the tongue and stretching the material thereby exposed; replacing the tongue and laying the outsole on the bottom of a shoe without disturbing the stretched material, attaching the outsole permanently to the shoe bottom, and thereafter leveling the outsole against the shoe bottom to force the sole margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper, the leveling pressure also causing the stretched material to widen transversely of the sole so that the margins of the shank portion thereof will remain permanently in close fitting relation to the shoe upper.

10. That improvement in methods of making shoes having close fitting sole margins which consists in cutting an elongated tongue in the intramarginal material of the shank portion of an outsole, said tongue being formed in the material adjacent to the flesh side of the outsole and being joined thereto at one of its longer sides, reducing the margins of the outsole at said shank portion by bevel cuts one of which passes through the material joining the tongue to the outsole so that the tongue will be hinged to the outsole only at the opposite ends of said longer side, turning back the tongue on the hinges to expose the material adjacent to the tread surface of the outsole, stretching said material a predetermined amount to form manently attaching the outsole to the shoe bottom, and thereafter leveling the sole against the shoe bottom to flatten the bulge while forcing the sole margins into close fitting relation to the shoe upper, the flattening of the bulge causing the stretched material to widen transversely of the shoe bottom and thereby assist in maintaining said margins permanently in close fitting relation to the upper.

11. An outsole for use in the manufacture of shoes having an inner layer of material separated from an outer layer at its shank portion, said inner layer being joined to the outsole lengthwise thereof and said outer layer being stretched relatively to the inner layer to cause the outer layer to widen under leveling pressure and thereby facilitate pressing the sole margins into close fitting relation to a shoe upper.

12. An outsole for use in the manufacture of shoes having a tongue out in the flesh side of its shank portion, said tongue being longer than it is wide and being connected to the outsole along one of its longer sides, the material overlying said tongue being stretched outwardly to form a bulge which will permit the sole to widen transversely at its shank portion under pressure applied to force the margins of. the sole into close fitting relation to a shoe upper, thereby causing said margins to remain permanently in such relation to the upper.

v 13. An outsole for use in the manufacture of welt shoes having a long and relatively narrow tongue out in the intramarginal portion of its flesh side, said tongue being integrally connected to the shank portion of the outsole only at the opposite end portions of one of its longer sides, the material adjacent to the tread surface of said outsole having an outward bulge formed therein which may be reduced under leveling pressure to cause said material to widen transversely of the sole and thereby maintain the sole margins in close fitting relation to a shoe upper, the side of the tongue opposite the side which is integrally connected to the outsole being rupturabiy secured to the body portion of the outsole to prevent the shank portion of the outsole from widening be fore the leveling pressure is applied.

' JOHN B. HADAWAY. 

